


Lucie Rescues Matthew - A Two Shot

by thelastreader



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Teen Romance, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastreader/pseuds/thelastreader
Summary: Lucie Herondale's plans fly out the window when James begs her to go retrieve his parabatai, Matthew, from his drunken antics. She eventually agrees to help her brother out, but the simple task becomes a whole lot more complicated.
Relationships: Matthew Fairchild/Lucie Herondale, Tessa Gray/Will Herondale
Kudos: 24





	1. St. Idris Tavern

“You can’t be serious?” Lucie asked, staring harshly at her brother, brows narrowing close together.

“Sorry Lu. I would do it myself, but father’s a bit upset with me today,” James replied. He ran his fingers through his curly black locks and took one step towards her. “Matthew’s gotten himself in trouble, and you’re the only person I trust to help him out.”

“You mean, I’m the only person you trust who won’t tell from mom and dad. Or Aunt Charlotte,” she corrected, crossing her arms. Her brother was not getting off the hook so easily. The two parabatai, Matthew and James, were always involved in some messy situation, yet she was the one who had to handle their problems.

“Please Lucie. If you do this for me, I’ll owe you greatly,” James pleaded. He put both his hands onto his sister’s shoulders, bowing his chin graciously towards her.

She glanced around the room and then back at James before quickly breaking eye contact again. When he wore that earnest expression on his face, she couldn’t help but sympathize with him.

Regardless of how annoyed she felt, James was her family. And Matthew, well, he wasn’t exactly family, but he was closer to the Herondales than their actual blood relatives.

Lucie sighed, “Fine, tell me where Matthew is, and I’ll go fetch him. But I can’t guarantee I’ll return in him in one piece.”

James dropped his shoulders and squeezed his sister in a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you so much Lucie. You’re the best.”

“Alright! Yes, I know I know. Now will you please let me breathe.”

Instantly, James pulled back from the embrace and scratched the side of his head. “Sorry, I don’t know what overcame me. I must be too relieved.”

He then spent the next five minutes telling Lucie the directions of how to get to the tavern where Matthew would be at.

James wished he had more time to talk to his sister and prepare her on what to expect, but he wasn’t lying when he said his dad was upset. His father, Will Herondale, had just found out his son had been sneaking off to the Blackthorn manor once again even though he had been warned not to do so.

Half an hour later, Lucie strolled through the hallway at the London Institute. She continuously glanced at the clock and then peeked into her father’s study. She was anxious to follow James’s instructions and retrieve Matthew, but she couldn’t leave the Institute until she knew that the coast was clear.

She pressed her ear to the door of her father’s study and heard him nagging at James, clearly disappointed that his son had directly disobeyed his orders. Her father was preoccupied, and it didn’t seem likely that he would notice her missing for an hour or two. She nodded and decided it was time to make her move.

She grabbed an umbrella and quietly slipped out the front door.

Lucie looked both ways before crossing the street and walking three blocks down. She wanted to make sure she was far enough from the London Institute before hailing a carriage. Her hand lifted as she saw the horse-drawn cab approaching.

The coachman removed his hat as a sign of respect and smiled at Lucie. “Where to ma’am?’

Lucie stepped up into the carriage, “To the Chiswick market square.”

The ride to the market was bumpy. The stones that paved the roads were cracked and uneven. It didn’t help that the rain had turned into an outright downpour and thick mud began to form on the ground, underneath the horse’s hooves. After rough travels, the cab finally pulled up to her location.

She thanked the coachman and handed him her coin.

 _Where are you Matthew?_ Lucie wondered. She recalled her brother’s directions – walk two blocks north, turn right, continue past the bank and the bakery.

She followed the instructions and eventually found herself at the final destination.

The St. Idris Tavern.

Lucie closed her umbrella, inhaled deeply, and took a step inside. She could barely think with all the noise and commotion going on. To her left, a group of sailors laughed animatedly. She could tell they were clearly intoxicated by their slurred speech and burning cheeks.

She gulped and continued her large strides forward. Her eyes darted across the room, searching for the blond locks belonging to one Matthew Fairchild.

And then, she spotted him.

He had his head down in his arms, which were resting on the bar. Lucie picked up her pace and swiftly came up beside him. She leaned against the bar.

“Matthew, get up.”

“Mhmm,” he responded, clearly not ready to leave.

“It’s Lucie. We need to get you out of here.”

He twisted his neck slightly to get a better look at the girl talking to him. “Lucie? What are you doing here? This is no place for someone as young as yourself.”

She snorted. “I can say the same about you. We’re practically the same age.”

Lucie slid closer to Matthew and shook his arm. “Come on, I’m being serious. We need to get out of here before our parents find out. I am not about to get into trouble because you are being an idiot.”

“Kiss me.”

“Excuse me??” Lucie asked, taking a step back.

“I’ll go if you kiss him,” Matthew said with a smirk. He sat up straight, adjusting his body so he was facing straight towards her. The whites in his eyes were red, a clear sign of lack of sleep and a night of revelry.

Her face twisted in disgust, yet Matthew continued to keep that stupid grin on his face. When it was clear Lucie wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her squirm, he simple shrugged and said, “Didn’t think so. Looks like I’ll have another round.” He motioned to the barkeeper to come over to him.

Lucie scoffed and yanked his arm, forcing him to his feet. “You’re terrible, but I promised James that I was going to get you home, and I intend on keeping my word.”

She threw one of his arms over her shoulder and pulled him away from the bar, guiding him out of the tavern. Matthew was a head taller and at least thirty pounds of muscle heavier than her. Lucie struggled to keep them both on their feet. It didn’t help that Matthew continued to sway side to side, unable to walk in a straight line after multiple rounds of liquor.

“Matthew Fairchild. I hate you,” she said between pants for air, clearly exhausted from hauling him away from the tavern.

“Lucie dear, I know you don’t hate me.”

“I hate you at this very moment,” she corrected herself.

“Will you hate me tomorrow?”

She rolled her eyes. “That depends on how much you cooperate with me right now.”

Although he was drunk, Matthew managed to push himself upright, trying his best to offload the weight off of Lucie’s shoulders. She still had to help him but at least she was now assisting him instead of carrying all of his weight.

Fortunately, the heavy rain had turned into a trickle. The air was still damp, and water droplets continued falling on the tops of their heads, but at least their weren’t drenched.

She waved for a carriage, and Matthew stumbled inside. Lucie heaved his body further into the carriage, so she would at least have room to sit down.

She hopped up, annoyed that Matthew was hogging so much space. She lifted the end of her petticoat which were now damp from the slick wet roads. Matthew leaned against the window, eyes drifting in and out of focus.

He stretched his arms for a second and then brought his head into Lucie’s lap, eyelids finally shutting. The arrogant smirk on his face had now softened into restful resignation. She stared down at him, observing his long lashes, so long that rain droplets had formed onto the ends of some of them.

Lucie lifted her eyes and averted her gaze. She was furious, well, at least she wanted to stay furious. Matthew had ruined her plans to stay at home, curled up writing her stories besides the fire place.

But here she was, groveling for her brother, taking care of the sad situations that Matthew had gotten himself into. He was always in these sorts of predicaments.

As much as she wanted to stay mad, it was impossible when Matthew looked so peaceful, as if there was no other place he wanted to be than besides her.

His eyes began to flutter open, and he paused, momentarily confused as to where he was. Then he saw Lucie eyeing him warily, and he smiled. Lucie’s heart skipped a beat. She almost believed Matthew could sense the nervous energy in her chest. He slowly sat up, not breaking his eye contact with her.

“Lucie, why did you come?” he asked slowly.

“James asked me too.” It was the truth.

His tired expression turned into irritation. “Well you shouldn't have. I can take care of myself.” Although Matthew spoke with conviction, his words still slurred at the end of the sentence.

Lucie leaned her head back and let out a sharp laugh. “From my perspective, you are definitely not taking care of yourself. Matthew Fairchild, you’re better than this. If something’s wrong, please let me help you.”

His jaw set and turned to look out the window, “It’s none of your business.”

Lucie’s calm demeanor suddenly transformed into a hurtful pang, and Matthew spotted it out of the corner of his eye. He winced guiltily and quickly corrected himself, “But I’m glad you’re here Lucie. Thank you.”

They stared at each other for a long few seconds. Lucie suddenly felt herself grow self conscious. She hadn’t had time to fix her hair or put on a nicer dress before leaving the Institute. Not to mention, walking through the storm had made her appearance more disheveled. Matthew looked like a drunken mess, but even in this state, he was still handsome. He normally looked so put together in his well-tailored outfits, but hours spent at the tavern had taken away some of that fashionable charm. However, his usual, composed appearance was replaced by a rugged sort of handsome, something effortless and easy.

Lucie pulled her eyes away from his gaze and folded one arm across her chest, shrinking into herself. Matthew didn’t hesitate. He reached for her arm and gently pulled it away from her torso.

“Don’t do that,” he insisted.

“Do what?”

“Don’t try to hide yourself. You’re too beautiful.”

And with those words, he leaned in, his lips hovering less than an inch away from hers. Lucie knew she should pull back. She knew Matthew was not completely sober or clear-headed. Yet, she couldn’t stop. She wanted him, wanted him more than anything.

They both leaned into the kiss. It was just a tiny peck, yet neither of them turned their faces, letting the light touch linger. And just like that, Lucie broke. She threw her arms around his neck. Matthew’s sunken eyes widened, clearly startled by the aggressiveness in her response, but then he pressed his chest against hers, trailing his hand down her spine. Once his palm hit the small of her back, he pushed her even closer towards himself.

Their mouths parted to deepen the kiss. Lucie tilted her head to the side, allowing herself to devour him more and more and more.

“Oh Lucie—” Matthew gasped as he came up for a breath. He couldn’t get another word in as Lucie pressed her tongue into his mouth, letting the taste of his liquored breath meld with hers.

The clacking of the horse’s hooves suddenly stopped, and they reluctantly pulled away from each other.

“Ahem,” the coachman said, annoyance written across his face. The last thing he needed was two teenagers making out in his carriage.

Lucie smiled sheepishly, and the coachman rolled his eyes. However, he finally turned around, took his reigns, and allowed the horses marched onward. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Matthew cleared his throat, “Ummm, so that was….”

“Let’s not talk about it right now.”

“Right.”

The next five minutes of the ride were quiet, but it wasn’t the easy quietness that they often fell into when they were sitting together at the Institute. This silence was marked with clear discomfort. Matthew would normally try to fill the silence with droning words, but he was still too shocked to say anything.

Lucie cleared her throat, and he snapped to attention, eager to hear what she wanted to say.

Unfortunately, he realized Lucie wasn’t looking at him, but her attention was directed to what was behind him, outside the window.

“I thought James was covering for us. This is bad news,” Lucie muttered with a trace of fear in her tone.

Matthew saw what had caused her to grow pale. The carriage had just rounded the corner, and outside the window, they could see the entrance of the London Institute. Standing in front of the grand entrance were two figures, with straight backs and unreadable expressions.

The two figures were Lucie’s parents, Tessa and Will.

And they were clearly not amused.


	2. Persian Institute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucie manages to bring Matthew back home in one piece, but her parents find out. While trying to convince mom and dad to let them off the hook, she learns of unfortunate news that breaks her heart.

“Lucie Herondale, I might expect this sort of behavior from your brother, but from you?”

“But father—”

“—I don’t want to hear it.” Will turned his head away from his daughter and lifted a hand between their bodies, as if building a wall against the hundreds of excuses lying right there on the tip of her tongue.

Before anyone could react, James stormed out the doors. His eyes darted between the four of them – his parents standing side-by-side, Lucie and Matthew still in the carriage.

James let out a stifled cough when he suddenly noticed everyone was staring at him. “Really father, it isn’t Lucie’s fault! She didn’t want to go but I practically begged her,” he stammered out.

“Also, we couldn’t just leave Matthew all alone at the tavern,” Lucie added, lifting her skirt to step down from the carriage and onto the sidewalk.

Matthew began to follow Lucie’s lead. Unlike her however, his feet weren’t light and graceful. Instead, he nearly toppled down on the street when the hem of his pants snagged on the carriage step. James raced over to Matthew’s side and grabbed his arm, helping to steady his legs.

Matthew quietly thanked James and took in a deep breath. He was attempting his usual act of charm and wit, but it didn’t come easily when he had to worry about the overflow of beer sloshing in his gut. “Really Mr. and Mrs. Herondale, Lucie only came because she wanted to help me,” Matthew argued. He continued muttering his protests but they came out slurred and inaudible. Apparently, the alcohol was working too effectively, and he was having a hard time speaking.

Will glanced between the three teenagers and sighed, “Please take Matthew to the den. Try to make him look a bit more presentable. I’ve already sent a messenger to fetch Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Henry, and they should be on there way here.”

James nodded, grateful for a moment to be alone with his parabatai and away from the observant eyes of his parents. Lucie began to follow the two boys in, but Will placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to stay put.

Once James and Matthew entered the Institute, Tessa began to speak, “Lucie, I know you just wanted to be there for Matthew tonight. We all love him and would do anything for him, but some things aren’t meant for us to fix.”

Will came up besides his wife and placed an arm around her waist, lightly kissing the top of her head. “Your mother’s right. We’re proud of you and your brother. You both display so much loyalty to your friends, but there’s a time and a place for everything.”

“This is a family matter for Matthew. Charlotte and Henry can take of their son. It isn’t you’re duty,” Tessa reiterated.

Lucie kept her lips sealed in a tight line. She wanted to argue but figured it was best to remain quiet. Her parents seemed to be letting her off the hook for tonight, and it was best she didn’t push her luck, lest she wanted them to punish her further.

Will finally nodded towards the door, dismissing Lucie to get ready for bed. She didn’t hesitate and scurried inside.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to process the events that had transpired tonight. He was still upset at James for sneaking off to the Blackthorn manor, but now he had to deal with his daughter’s lack of street smarts – Chiswick Market Square was no place for a young lady, or even a young lad for that matter.

Tessa noticed her husband’s concerns and brought a hand to his chin, lifting it until his eyes met hers. “It’ll be fine.”

“How are we gonna break the news to the children?” Will asked, keeping his attention fixed on his wife.

Tessa opened her mouth to respond but paused to think hard on Will’s question. There was no easy answer. Regardless, James and Lucie were going to find out soon enough.

*****************************************************************************

Lucie’s first course of action was to zip straight to the den. She spotted James kneeling in front of Matthew, patting his cheeks in an attempt to get him looking more alert before Aunt Charlotte showed up.

“Oh it’s no use!” James cried out, clearly annoyed by the lack of cooperation coming from his parabatai.

“Matthew, you really need to pull yourself together. Or else Aunt Charlotte will ground you for an eternity,” Lucie added, flanking James on his left-hand side.

He let out a hollow cry, “Why does it matter!? I’ll be gone either way.”

The Herondale teenagers both tilted their heads towards Matthew, startled by the bitterness laced in his tone. They then glanced at each other.

“What are you talking about?” James asked Matthew slowly, getting off of his knees.

“We’re leaving London.”

“Pardon?”

“Persia. That’s where we’re headed,” Matthew responded, waving his hand off to the side.

“Wait that doesn’t make sense. Aunt Charlotte is the Consul. She already work for the Enclave. Her career and her family are in London. She can’t just leave,” Lucie protest.

“And you’re my parabatai! We’re supposed to stick together. Our training – how will we be able to continue if you’re thousands of miles away?” James added.

Matthew gave a pained smile, “I wish it were that simple. The Enclave has been trying to kick mum out for years now. Well they’ve succeeded. She’s giving up her current position and taking a leadership role at the Persian Institute. We’ll be headed there by month’s end.”

“No, no it’s not right. They’ve treated your mum terribly for years, but she’s always fought back. What’s different? What’s made her change her mind?” James asked.

“It’s been hard on our family. Mum and dad have been thinking about the possibility of moving for quite some time. Within the Enclave, we don’t know who to trust. Plus, mum hopes the new position will be a step up, at least the gossip should subside.”

Lucie was at a loss for words. Her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts. After the kiss, tonight had become a muddled mess, a blur. But regardless of the confusion roiling through every nerve in her body, all she knew was that she didn’t want Matthew to leave.

The quiet clatter of hooves along the sidewalk drew near. Lucie and James quickly made their way to the window, pulling the blinds back just enough so they could peer outside. Aunt Charlotte had arrived. She hopped out of the carriage and greeted Will and Tessa with a long embrace. After a quick half-minute of catching up, their moods turned sullen once more and they began to speak with concerned expressions.

“What do you think their talking about?” James asked as he continued to spy on the adults through the window. He whipped his head towards Lucie but realized she was gone. She had dashed out of the den and found herself outside once again.

“Is it true?” Lucie asked.

The three adults suddenly fixed their attentions on Lucie. Will and Tessa appeared confused, but Aunt Charlotte wore a knowing smile. She was dressed in a modest black gown with a high, laced neckline. That sort of dress would look too severe on someone as free-spirited as Lucie, but Charlotte dressed every bit the role of a leader – a Consul – the role she was meant for.

But Charlotte was leaving it all behind.

The Consul took one step towards Lucie and sighed, “So I see Matthew has already informed you. Yes, we’ll be headed to Persia in two weeks.”

“Please Aunt Charlotte, I beg you. Stay in London. Continue leading the Clave. Without you, my parents’ livelihoods will be in jeopardy.”

“Oh Lucie, don’t worry about that. You know I will always do everything in my power to protect this Institute. I’ve already named someone whom I trust to take over as Consul.”

“But the Council can always object to your nominee!” Lucie argued. “What’s to stop them from kicking the new Consul off their seat and choosing someone not suitable for the role? Plenty of members of the Enclave hate my family, and without you, they’ll seek to destroy us!”

“Now Lucie—” Will warned, “—It’s not Charlotte’s nor Henry’s job to protect the Institute. Your mother and I are plenty capable of doing that ourselves. We must let Charlotte decide to do what’s best for her family.”

Lucie began to feel her throat tighten and droplets forming at the corners of her tear ducts. “Please,” she whispered. The single syllable barely registered as audible. If she spoke any louder, her voice would break, and she wasn’t sure she could hold back the stream.

“Oh Lucie, don’t worry. We aren’t leaving forever. Our family plans to eventually return to England. Plus, Charles will still be here.”

 _I don’t care about Charles_ , Lucie thought as she allowed her gaze to shift away from the adults and back towards those double doors – her brother and Matthew were just on the other side of the entrance.

“What about Matthew?” she asked, keeping her eyes focused towards the door.

For the first time since the conversation began, Charlotte was taken aback. She craned her neck, as if trying to get a better view into Lucie’s expression.

“Matthew will be with Henry and I in Persia.”

“But what if that’s not what he wants?” _What if that’s not what I want,_ she left the last phrase unspoken.

“Matthew is too young to make that decision. When he turns eighteen, he can decide where he wants to live, but in the meantime, he needs to be with us, his parents.”

Lucie trained her attention back on Charlotte. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to change your mind?”

Charlotte smiled at Lucie, but the expression appeared too sympathetic, as if she knew Lucie would not like the answer. “I’m sorry. It’s already been decided. Your parents understand; they’ve already tried to sway my decision—”

“—Without any luck,” Tessa added, a sad smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Will coughed discretely into his sleeve, “Ahem, let’s go inside, shall we?”

The three of them followed Will through those double doors and into the foyer.

Charlotte rushed straight to Matthew’s side as soon as he came within her view. He was rubbing at his eyes, trying to clear his head.

“Matthew! What have you gotten yourself into? We’re going home right this instant!” Charlotte scolded.

Instead of his usual banter, Matthew seemed to lose the fiery energy. He was in too much disarray to protest. He nodded and walked off with his mother. Charlotte’s forehead creased – even she had expected some sort of comeback from her son but was surprised to see him comply without a word.

“Will, Tessa, thank you for sending your messenger to fetch me. I apologize for keeping you both up so late,” Charlotte gave a curt nod and shifted her attention to the other two Herondales in the room. “James, Lucie, you both be good now. Thanks for treating Matthew as one of your own.” She lightly touched her son’s shoulder, and they both slipped out the front entrance.

Time seemed to slow down for Lucie. By the way their mouths were moving, she knew her parents were talking to her. She could sense James responding to them, but none of the words registered for her. All she wanted to do was curl her knees up to her chest and cry. She wanted to pull out her quill and vent her frustrations onto parchment. Vent and vent until her fingers were sore and blotted with ink.

But she did neither of those things.

Instead, she found herself running, sprinting actually, back outside.

“Lucie!” Tessa shouted, but her daughter didn’t look back.

The Fairchild carriage was already down the street, moments away from turning down another alley. Lucie straightened her spine and followed it with as much energy as her legs could muster.

All the regrets began racing through her mind. After tonight’s kiss, she had been distant. Oh, how Matthew must think she hated him when that wasn’t the case at all. In reality, her heart ached at the mere thought of him. And she was afraid of how it would change their friendship, afraid of how her brother would react. Most of all, she was afraid about of how Matthew would response. Sure tonight, he seemed more than eager to reciprocate her kiss, but he wasn’t thinking straight. When the alcohol wore off tomorrow, would he still look at her the same way?

Tears began to roll down her cheeks - the saltiness seeping past her lips and onto her tongue. The carriage was too far ahead, too far gone.

But no.

Lucie rounded the corner, and instantly they appeared. The coachman had stopped on the side of the road. Before she knew it, she was standing just outside the carriage window.

Matthew and Charlotte had their heads together, deep in discussion, and Lucie felt like she was invading on a private moment. But she had come so far. It didn’t make sense for her to turn around. Before she could allow the doubt to creep back into her mind, she tapped a single finger once on the carriage window.

Both of them turned towards her and were caught in surprise.

“Lucie, what are you doing here?” Charlotte asked as she unlatched and swung the window open.

“I’ve. Come. To.—” every word was a struggle for Lucie. She hadn’t realized how hard she had been running. She gave herself a few seconds to calm down, then proceeded, “Please don’t leave Aunt Charlotte.”

“We’ve already been through this discus—”

“—I’m in love with Matthew!” Lucie’s mouth gaped open. Had she really confessed those words? Oh, this felt so improper, nothing like the romance stories she wrote in her tattered journals. Yet here she was, speaking freely without having ever discussed these thoughts with Matthew.

Silence followed in the wake of Lucie’s outburst, and it was agonizing. She desperately needed someone to say something. Then for a flicker of a moment, she thought she saw something akin to amusement in Charlotte’s expression. The Consul turned her head towards her son, and then back to Lucie again. She cleared her throat and stepped out of the carriage.

“Well, if that’s how you feel Lucie, maybe you and Matthew should discuss these things,” Charlotte waved for the coachman. “Oh Mr. Holland, why don’t we take a walk for a moment.”

The coachman and Charlotte strolled off, not far, just half a block away but it afforded the two of them some privacy.

“Why must you be so cruel?” The first words out of Matthew’s mouth.

Out of all the possible responses Lucie had anticipated, she hadn’t expected him to ask that question.

“What are you talking about?”

Matthew scratched the back of his head. “If I remembered correctly, you kissed me in the carriage, and then you ignored me for the rest of the ride home! But now, you’re saying you love me? What am I supposed to think? Is some sort of joke?”

Lucie stammered, “I, I, I don’t know. This is all so new to me, and it’s going to take some time to process my feelings.”

Matthew pursed him lips and let her words simmer before he could respond. He finally cleared his throat. “So did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“That you love me?”

He pushed his bangs to the other side of his head, and it took everything in Lucie’s willpower not to run her own fingers through those golden locks. The sight of him continued to make her chest tighten.

“Yes, I meant it,” Lucie responded. Her throat was swollen from the lump forming but she managed to answer Matthew’s question without starting another crying fit.

“Oh Lucie Herondale, what am I going to do with you?” he asked.

She looked up at Matthew.

The playful teasing in his voice had returned, and she couldn’t help but feel a smile of relief begin to creep up. At first, it was just a tiny curve forming on the edge of her lips, but it eventually transformed into a teethy grin.

“For starters, you must stay in London with me.” 

Matthew pulled his gaze away from Lucie and nodded his head towards his mother, “I don’t think that’s up for me to decide. Also, mum and dad have already sold the house, so I won’t have a place to stay.”

 _You can live at the Institute with me,_ Lucie knew better than to offer this suggestion. They both understood that option would be met with much backlash from her parents.

“Your brother is living in London. Why can’t you stay with him?” Lucie ended up saying.

“Hah! Charles? The only thing I have to look forward to in Persia is being away from him.”

“But would you live with him if it meant you could be with me?” Lucie asked quietly, resting her palm on top of Matthew’s fingers.

He looked down at the small gesture and sighed, “For you Lucie Herondale, yes. But we’ll have to talk to mum and Charles about this arrangement. I don’t think either of them will be particularly happy.”

It was a long shot. They were both certain sure Charles would lash out, and Charlotte Fairchild-Branwell would be upset to find out her youngest son wanted to part ways.

But it would be worth it.

Lucie had almost allowed Matthew to slip through her fingers tonight, and she had no intention of making that mistake ever again.


End file.
